This week in higher ed

â€¢A new group of parents has emerged on American campuses over the last two yearsâ€“called
helicopter parents because of the way they hover over their children beyond the standard
moment to say goodbyeâ€“and more college are catering to them with separate parents
orientation sessions. Called higher educations newest constituency, these mothers
and fathers are being greeted with campus neighbor testimonials, systems alerting
them to major events coming to their students city and membership in official parents
groups with their own newsletters and handbooks.
•A new group of parents has emerged on American campuses over the last two years—called
“helicopter parents” because of the way they hover over their children beyond the
standard moment to say goodbye—and more college are catering to them with separate
parents' orientation sessions. Called “higher education's newest constituency,” these
mothers and fathers are being greeted with campus neighbor testimonials, systems alerting
them to major events coming to their student's city and membership in official parents
groups with their own newsletters and handbooks. (Christian Science Monitor, 9/16/04)

•After receiving a $100 million gift, the largest single donation in its 240-year
history, Brown University now is able to eliminate loans for students with the greatest
need and replace them with scholarship funds. (The Boston Globe/Associated Press,
9/16/04)

•According to “Measuring Up 2004: The National Report Card on Higher Education,” high
school students are better prepared for college than a decade ago, but in many states,
fewer are enrolling in college. (The New York Times, 9/15/04)

•John McCardell Jr., former president of Middlebury College, is calling for a lower
drinking age. He says denying college students legal access to alcohol is like denying
oil paint to art students and expecting graduates to know how to paint a portrait.
(The Boston Globe/Associated Press, 9/15/04)